Bowling-alley ball return



Jan, 19 1926.

J. W. BISHOP BOWLING ALLEY BALL RETURN Filed Sept. 4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. W BISHOIv BOWLING ALLEY BALL RETURN Jan. 19 1926.

2 sheds-sheet 2 I Filed Spt. 4, 1925 Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH w. fBIsHoP, 0F MUSKEGON. MIG

PATENT OFFICE.

HIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRUNSWICK- 'OF DELAWARE.

BOWLING-ALLEY BALL RETURN.

Application filed September 4, 1925. Serial No. 54,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. BISHOP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bowling- Alley Ball Returns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel and improved bowling alley ball return and more particularly to a construction which forms an improvement over that disclosed and claimed in my co pending application Serial No. 740,539, filed September 29, 1924.

A bowling alley ball return commonly is connected with a receiving track which may be elevated to a proper height for the ready taking of balls therefrom without the player having to stoop. In my aforesaid co-pending application I described and claimed a means for guiding and deflecting the ball to the elevated receiving track and for retarding its movement so that when 1t reaches thereceiving track its speed is such that thereis no danger of injury either to the balls themselves or to the fingers of a player, who may be taking a ball from the receiving track.

Bowling is done with different sizes of balls .depending upon the character of game which is being played device which would be adapted to operate upon a ball of one size in the desired manner, would not function with a ball of another size. 'Therefore, it is the principal object of my invention to provide a combined deflector and retarder so mounted as to function in the desired manner and to be capable of adjustment so that it may be used with any size of ball.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel and improved means for securing in place the strap which forms the combined deflector and retarder, or as it is commonly known, the buffer.

In the accompanying drawings in which I have shown a selected embodiment of my invention; g y

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of a ball return showing my invention in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the device adjusted for use with a different size of ball.

and consequently a Fig. 3 is a detail of the strap forming the buffer.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View on an enlarged scale showing the details of the base which adjust-ably supports the buffer.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the invention being taken from the right of Fig. 4.

Fig; 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Referring now to the drawings in detail -the numeral 1 designates a return track which leads from the pit end of the alley to the players end. Longitudinally spaced from the end of the track 1 is an elevated receiving track 2 and connecting the adjacent ends of these two tracks is an'upwardlv curved track 3, it being noted that this traclc is curved upwardly throughout its entire length from the receiving track to the return track. At the point of connection be tween the tracks 2 and 3 there is provided an elevated juncture 4 whereby when a ball passes this point it will receive suflicient momentum to roll along the track 2. Disposed opposite the juncture 4 is a buffer comprislng a strap 5 placed at a proper angle 'tc deflect a ball from the upwardly curved connecting track 3 to the receiving track 2 in the manner fully set forth in my. aforesaid co-pending application.

Disposed beneath the lower end of the track 3 is a base 6.v This base comprises a plate 7 having ears 8 for the reception of bolts or other fastening means by which the base may be secured to the floor. In the sides of the plate 7 are provided guides in the form of grooves 9 within which are received the feet 10 of the standards 11 forming a support for the buffer to be described presently. These standards are bellied out, as shown'at 12 to permit the passage therebetween of the largest size bowling ball and when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the lower curved surfaces 13 of these bellied out portions form a practical continuation of the rails v forming the connecting track 3.

The plate 7 is provided with anupstanding centrally disposed spacer 14 between which and'the standards 11 are received the rails 15 of the track '3. Above the grooves 9 the plate 7 is formed with shoulders to receive corresponding shoulders 16upon the standards and thus provide additional guid I ing and steadying means as will be evident to those skilled in the art. The spacer 14 is braced at one end by means of the web 17 of the base is slotted, as shown at 19, to re ceive a bolt 20 extending through both standards and the base. By this means the standards may be adjusted to any desired position and secured inthat position ,by tightening ofthe bolt.

Disposed between the upper portions of the standards are a pair of rolls 21 and 22. Trained over these rolls is a buffer formed of the strap 5 and this strap is preferably folded on itself at its ends to form loops, the ends being secured by rivets or other fastening means 23. Received within the loops are transverse pins 24 and the material of the, strap is cut away at 25 to form slots. This arrangement provides a very convenient structure for the securing of the strap in position. As plalnly shown in 1 Figs 1 and 2, the strap is trained over the permanently secured to the strap.

two rolls 21- and 22 and the ends thereof are joined by means of a turnbuckle 26 provided at its ends with hooks 27 which are inserted in the slots 25 and then the turn-- buckle may be tightened until the strap receives its'desired tension. Thus I provide an extremely simple and eflicient structure whereby a strap may be readily replaced without any complicated operations, such as would be necessary if the turnbuckle were From the above it will be apparent that I have provided a novel and improved device which may be employed with any size of bowling ball. All that is necessary when the alley is to be used for bowling w1th a different size of ball than what is being used,

is to loosen the bolt 20 and adjust the stand: ards by sliding them bodily along the base. Usually two standard sized balls are used and I therefore make the slot 19 of a proper length sothat when the bolt is engaged with either end thereof'the buffer is in proper position for either the larger or the smaller size ball. This eliminates any guess work as to the proper position at which the device is to be placed, but on the other hand, it permits of an adjustment, if such is found necessary.

I am aware that changes in the form, constructionand arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and without sacrificing the advantages of the invention and I reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

necting track and provided curved track connecting the adjacent ends of said return and receiving tracks, a buffer forming a combineddeflector and retarder adjacent the juncture of said receiving track and said connecting track, and means for adjusting said buffer longitudinally of said tracks. 2. A bowlling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevated receiving track in alignment therewith, an upwardly curved track connecting said return track and receiving track, a base, a support slidably mounted on said base, ried by said support and dis the juncture of said connecting track with sand receiving track. 3. A bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevated receiving track in alignment there-with, an upwardly curved track connecting the of said return track and said receiving track, a base adjacent the lower end of said conwith guides, a support having feet co-operating with said guides and slidable in respect thereto longitudinally of said tracks, means for securing said support in position, and a buffer carried by said sup ort adjacent the juncture of said connecting track and said receiving track.

4. A bowling alley ballreturn comprisin a return trac an elevated receiving trac in alignment therewith, an upwardly curved track connecting the adjacent ends of said return track and said receiving track, a base disposed adjacent the lower end of said contrack and said receiving track.

5. A bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevated receiving-track 1n alignment therewith, an upwardly curved track COIIIIGCtlIlg the adjacent ends of said return track and said receiving track, a base disposed beneath the lower end of said connecting track, grooves in either side of said base, a support comprising standards disposed on either side of said base, and havin feet received in said grooves, through said standard and through said base, and being received within a slot in said base, and a buffer supported between said standards and adjacent the juncture of said receiving track and said connecting track.

6. A bowling alley ball return comprisin a return track, an elevated receiving trac in alignment. therewith, an upwardly curved sed adjacent adjacent ends a bolt passing track connecting the adjacent ends of said return track and said receiving track, a base disposed beneath the lower end of said connecting track, grooves in either side of said base, a support comprising standards disposed on either side of said base, and having feet received in said grooves, a bolt passing through said standard and through said base, and being received within a slot in said base, a spacer on'said base between which and said standards the rails of said 7 connecting track are received, and a buffer supported between said standards and adjacent the juncture of said receiving track and said connecting track.

7. A bowling alley ball return comprising a support formed of paced standards, a pair of rolls, a strap trained over said rolls and terminating at each end in a loop, a transverse pin disposed in each loop, the material of said strap being'cut away to form a slot at each pin, and a turnbuckle having hooks inserted in said slots to engage said pins and fasten said strap in-place on said rolls.

8. A bowling alley ball return comprising a support, a pair of rolls thereon, a strap trained over said rolls and terminating at each end in a loop, a transverse pin disposed in each loop, the material of said strap being cut away to form'a slot at each pin, and means for connecting the ends of said strap and provided with hooks engaging said pins at said slots.

9. A bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevated receiving track in alignment therewith, an upwardly curved track connecting said return track and re eeiving track, a base, a support on said base, a buffer carried by said support and disposed adjacent the juncture of said connect ing track with said receiving track, and means for adjusting said support on said base to vary the relation of said buffer to said juncture.

10. A bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevated receiving track adapted to receive balls from said return track, a butler adapted to control the movement of balls passing from said return track to said receiving track, and means to adjust said buffer to permit its use with various sizes of balls.

JOSEPH w. BISHOP. 

